I was sitting next to my mother’s bed, keeping watch during the last hours before she died. I’d been a hospital chaplain for a few years, long enough to know what I said to other people, now having to tell them to myself. I don’t have any way to prove what I’m about to suggest. … Continue reading What I assume (but don’t know for sure) about that time while someone is dying.
I wanted to write something to my generation. I was prepared to be sarcastic. “Hey Boomer! Tell your kids that you are going to die so they know what to do when it happens. Because we are dying.” I wanted to write it because I work in a hospital. I talk to families before and … Continue reading Hey Boomer. We’re dying.
When you receive a hard diagnosis with a likelihood of death, people are glad to tell you what do to. They do it with intense certainty: “Do this treatment. Try this tool. Be courageous. Be strong.” And they do it with the best of intentions and the most anecdotal of data. “This worked for my … Continue reading A working list for life after a difficult diagnosis
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, Atul Gawande.The Art of Dying: Living Fully into the Life to Come. Rob Moll. Departing in Peace: Biblical Decisionmaking at the End of Life. Bill Davis. Between Life and Death: A Gospel-Centered Guide to End-of-Life Medical Care. Kathryn Butler. Whatever the medical decisions made, under any circumstances we can express our … Continue reading Talking about talking about death and medical decisions.
Finding words in hard times 